FIFA WC 2026: Araujo’s late strike rescues point for Uruguay against Saudi Arabia

Miami, June 16 (IANS) Maxi Araujo scored late to cancel out Abdulelah Al Amri’s first-half strike as Uruguay and Saudi Arabia shared the spoils in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H encounter here at the Miami Stadium on Tuesday (IST).

Uruguay started strong with Araujo forcing a smart save from Mohammed Al Owais before the Saudi goalkeeper produced an even better stop to deny Federico Vinas’s diving header.

Saudi Arabia’s first real threat came from a corner when Fernando Muslera reacted brilliantly to keep out a snap-shot from Al Amri – but Uruguay failed to heed the warning.

Notably, at 39 years and 364 days, Muslera became the oldest player to represent Uruguay at a World Cup, surpassing Diego Godin’s previous record by more than three years.

Another dangerous set-piece created chaos in the box. Uruguay goalkeeper Muslera managed to block a header from Hassan Al Tambakti, but Al Amri reacted the fastest to kick in the rebound and give Saudi Arabia the lead.

Uruguay pushed hard for an equaliser in the second half, with Vinas sending a header just wide of the post. Soon after, Manuel Ugarte beat the Saudi goalkeeper with a powerful long-range shot, but it smashed against the crossbar.

With Saudi Arabia defending deep in their own half, Uruguay’s pressure finally paid off with 10 minutes left in normal time. The Saudi goalkeeper couldn’t hold onto a sharp header from Viñas, allowing Araújo to quickly jump on the loose ball and score.

Federico Valverde tested the goalkeepera again as Uruguay looked for a late winning goal. However, Saudi Arabia held on to secure a valuable draw. The result leaves all four teams in Group H completely level, following tournament debutants Cape Verde’s surprise 0-0 draw against Spain earlier in the day.

–IANS

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